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Matt and Hannah shared a total of three years of married bliss together, with Matt having two of his deployments to Iraq during that time.
After getting out of the Army, Matt came home to Libby, Mont. and got a job working in the Genesis mine in Troy. He worked 12-hour nights, working the secondary crusher. One night he came home and found out that his wife had been in a car wreck and had passed away. Although his heart broke, he continued on. He smiled as often as he could, and with the love and support of his family and friends to help him, he became a stronger person. As he reflects on the many fun and adventurous times shared with Hannah, he smiles and even laughs out loud ,even though it has been 12 years that she has been gone.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t have the past experiences that I did to make me who I am,” Matt told The Montanian in his usual jovial way. “This place (Lincoln County) is my true home. It’s the mountains, and the fishing along with the slower pace of life that makes this place so perfect,” he said.
Although Montana is home to Matt, he has done his share of traveling and would like to continue traveling more in the future. Matt has travelled the United States as well as other places throughout the world over the years. In 2018, he completed his dream trip and took a month and a half touring Scotland and Ireland. What sparked his dream trip you may ask? What is strong enough to cause that one moment, that sparks the decision to follow your dream? His answer, a cheap plane ticket online. And that was the beginning of a month and a half of memories that will last a lifetime. Even after having seen so many different sights, Montana is still the most beautiful place that Matt says he has ever seen. It is the place that he will always return to and call home.
Photo of Matthew Wallace showing his contagious smile
Photo of Mathew Wallace graduating from diving school in 2016. Photos courtesy of Matthew Wallace